Xanthan gum has been used widely to prepare a variety of aqueous solutions having high viscosity and good suspending properties. A difficulty with xanthan gum in common with other high molecular weight, water soluble polymers has been its resistance to dispersibility and hydration. Typically, xanthan gum powder must be subjected to high agitation, as in a typical kitchen blender, to get it to disperse and hydrate.
Various approaches to the problem of preparing a dispersible xanthan gum have been described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,260, Sandford, et al., describes the additiion of silica to a xanthan gum solution, which is then precipitated with a non-solvent, dried, and milled. U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,669, Cottrell et al., describes blends of glyoxal treated xanthan gum with certain non-dispersible plant gums.